I had a week's training in cavalry sabre drill about 1979. Somebody decided that HMQ's official birthday needed to be celebrated at JHQ. It was decided that the parade ground would be lined with two each representatives of each cavalry regiment in BAOR in ceremonial kit. RSM volunteered me.

So we learned to march with swords, draw them, salute with them and park them on our shoulders while the parade went on (presumably - it was a long time ago - this movement was The Shoulder). Also learned that whereas Black Bear as rendered by the pipes and drums of the local Black Watch battalion might stir the bones, it did not break up the mind-numbingly boring fact that we stood forever with cavalry sabres on our shoulders and as they tired, the hand moved ever closer to the shoulder and the sabre moved ever more horizontal and the busby really, really started to hurt the skull after a while.